Easy Shortcut, No-Wrapping Soup Dumplings

This viral no-wrapping soup dumpling hack recently took over social media, and after watching so many variations flood my feed, I finally had to try it myself…and honestly, it’s brilliant!

The idea is simple: instead of painstakingly wrapping delicate pleated dumplings, you build the filling in a small dish, top it with a dumpling wrapper, add water or stock, and steam. It may not be a traditional Xiao Long Bao, but it’s definitely one of the easiest and quickest ways to make a “kind of” soup dumpling at home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No wrapping, no fuss : Traditional Xiao Long Bao requires careful pleating and paper-thin dough. This shortcut method gives you the same comforting flavours without the skill barrier.

• Juicy, soupy, full flavour : Using broth directly in the dish creates that signature soup dumpling juiciness — without having to make gelatinized stock or pork aspic.

• Ready in about 20 minutes : Prep the filling, top with a wrapper, pour in stock, steam, done.
• Beginner-friendly : Even if you’ve never made dumplings before, this method is nearly impossible to mess up.

Final Thoughts

It’s a clever, shortcut-style version of Xiao Long Bao that still delivers the juicy, steamy satisfaction of soup dumplings with barely any effort. If you give it a try, let me know what you think of this idea!

Easy Shortcut, No-Wrapping Soup Dumplings

Wanting

A quick hack version of soup dumplings without making a dough or pleating. Super easy, barely any effort, and still delivers juicy,steaming satisfaction.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Lunch, dinner

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese

Ingredients

  

• 200 g pork mince
• 10 g finely chopped spring onion whites
• 30 g finely diced shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp cooking wine
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp seasoning powder or MSG optional
• 40 ml chicken or beef stock vegetable stock or water also works.
• A few dumpling wrappers defrost if frozen

FOR SERVING

• Spring onion greens
• Julienned ginger
• Black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• Chilli oil

Instructions

 

• Prepare the ingredients: Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water until softened. Drain well and finely dice. Finely chop the spring onion whites.
• Make the filling: In a mixing bowl,combine pork mince, diced shiitake mushrooms, spring onion whites, grated ginger, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, sesame oil, and optional seasoning powder. Mix well until fully combined.
• Assemble: Spoon the filling into a small heatproof cup, bowl, or shallow dish. Cover the top with a dumpling wrapper (or a few wrappers if using a larger dish) and lightly fold the edges.
• Steam: Pour enough stock over the filling to cover the surface. If you want extra “soup” inside, add an additional splash of stock at this point. Steam for about 10 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked.
• Serve: Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and julienned ginger. Drizzle with black vinegar or chilli oil (or both — to your liking).

Video

Notes

Keyword 30 minutes, Dumpling, Dumpling Wrapper